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4 Checklist Items Before Posting Your Blog

You have put in hours of brainstorming, researching, writing, and proofreading. You are ready to hit publish and share your blog with the rest of the world. But wait. Before posting there are still a few things to “check off first.” In addition to proofreading there, are also a few additional actions you can take to optimize the post, increase viewership and keep the reader engaged. Follow these steps below:

1. Perfect The Headline

What is the first thing you read from this blog? Chances are it was probably the headline. This is the first piece of content that your reader sees and will determine if they decide to read the entire blog. In fact, 8 out of 10 people will read a headline but only 2 out of 10 will then read the rest of the blog. So, if your headline is not persuasive enough to interest the reader, they will move on to the other thousands of blogs available on the internet. 

The key to writing a good headline is keeping it short and simple. For starters, it needs to be kept under 65 characters to ensure it does not get cut off in search results. Avoid industry jargon and complex sentences so the reader does not get confused and becomes immediately disinterested in the piece. A few other ideas to create an engaging headline are:

  • Include numbers in digit form 
  • Add persuasive adjectives
  • If applicable, pose a question that the blog will answer

2. Include Meta Description

Sitting directly under the headline is the meta description. This area includes a few sentences of text that should introduce your blog to the reader. Think of it as your blog’s final elevator pitch to persuade the reader to click. When writing the meta description, think about why the reader will want to click on your blog and a few benefits they will receive from it that you can summarize.

formatting blog

3. Format to Skim

With thousands of blogs available on the web and a limited amount of time available, readers do not read blogs like they would a book. Instead, they tend to skim web pages to find only the information most important to them. Your blogs should be designed to fit this behavior with the way you format it. Some strategies that cater to this are:

  • Shorter paragraphs
  • Many subheadings
  • Bullets
  • Images to break up text

4. Call to Action

If the reader has made it to the end of your blog, there is a good chance they benefited from your content and may be interested in your business. This where you can turn a reader into a customer through a strong call to action.

In this closing, you want to move the reader into the next step in their buying journey. If the reader still needs more information on the topic after reading the blog, lead them to another page on your site that explains the topic in more detail. However, if you believe the reader is ready for a potential purchase, lead them to your contact page so get in touch with you. 

Does your business need help in growing its online presence? Our team at Em & A Pen can cover all your online content needs include website design, blogging, and targeted copywriting. Reach out to us today to get started!